Avatar, the Last Airbender: Bound by Zuko
by ATLA Fan Fictionist
Summary: Katara is capture by Zuko and tied to a tree...Again! But what happens when Zuko decides to keep her? Will he enslave her? Please write review!
1. Chapter 1, Captured

Chapter 1. Captured

The first time wasn't so bad. But doing it again? Was he joking? Or was he really mad? Was he going to really hurt her? Or was he holding back? The questions rolled through Katara's mind as she glanced at Zuko, who tightened the rope around her waist, and then her hands. He pulled the rope around to the back of the tree, and stepped away, a satisfied look on his face. Katara struggled for a moment, but knew it would do her no good. She was tied to a tree...again. And this time, Aang or Sokka couldn't save her...They were probably still asleap on Appa, unaware of the fact that Zuko had captured her while she had simply been taking a morning walk! And now she was alone...With Zuko. Prince Zuko.

_Why me? _She thought. _Why'd he have to pick me? _Katara's mind swam with any possible way to escape, but she couldn't think of anything. _If only I could waterbend with my feet...Or my mind! _She wondered if one day she would be able to waterbend like that. But right now, she needed to at least try to think of a way to escape. Zuko was walking back toward his ship, only turning back before he entered to stare at her. The wind blew at Katara, her dress stretching out in the wind. She tried to put her best _'don't leave me here'_ look. Zuko hesitated before entering the ship, but then he turned around and walked back to where Katara was held stiff to the tree.

"You're coming with me," He stated.

Katara's shock turned to anger. "Where?" She asked. She needed to gather as much information as she could to begin planning an escape.

"My ship," He rolled his eyes in a contempt to break her steady gaze on him. She didn't. She kept looking at him with a long glare.

Zuko stepped behind her and cut the rope free from her waist, leaving her hands still tied together. "Come on," His raspy voice faided as another rush of wind hit them.

Katara slowly followed him into the steel red ship and hastily memorized the turns they were taking. She had to find a way to escape this time. On her own. Zuko led her to a small room with a bed and a nightstand. Hung on the walls were the Fire Nation insignia. He shoved her toward the bed and furrowed his brow. "Don't get in my way, and you won't get hurt," He mumbled.

Katara laughed. "You wouldn't hurt me," She stated with confidence, although she knew that might not be true. "Where are you taking me? Why didn't you just leave my on that tree like you did the last time?"

Zuko shook his head. "I don't know...It didn't look like the Avatar was coming to get you."

Katara noticed a worried tint in his voice. Had he actually been _concerned _to leave her there? "He would've eventually."

Zuko shifted his wait and began walking toward the door. He stopped, then turned around. His gaze turned from frusterated to an evil smile. "I know _exactly _what I'm going to do with you."

Katara felt a lump forming in her throat. What was he going to do with her? Torture her? Put her to work? She hoped she would be able to find a way around the ship to escape. "What?" Her voice came out with a crack.

Zuko smiled as he walked closer to her. "You just said the Avatar would have _eventually_ come after you...What better bait but to use his girlfriend to capture him?"

Katara swallowed. "He's escaped from you once. He can do it again!" She glared at him. He was going to use her as _bait_! She should've just begged him to keep her tied to the tree...Now Aang was in danger! "Let me go, you...you...Brat!" She yelled. That wasn't quite the name she had in mind, but it seemed to suit him.

Zuko burst into a fit of laughter as his his pony-tail swung from side to side. He sat at the end of her bed. "I'll do just that, once I get the Avatar. In the time being, make yourself...Comfortable. I'll have word get around soon that I've got the Avatar's girlfriend. He should find out soon enough, shouldn't he?"

Katara shook her head. "He's stronger then you think! He's the a_vatar_. You couldn't do it last time...You won't be able to fight him again!

Zuko stood up and leaned closer to her. "But I've got the element of surprise on him. I've got a plan. Do you have a plan, peasant?" He pointed to her hands which were tied up. "You can make this easier for yourself, or harder for yourself. Take your pick."

Katara closed her eyes. This was pointless to be aruging with him. He clearly wasn't going to let her go, and she was just giving him more ideas on how to put out his plan. "I _hate_ you."

Zuko leaned even closer to her. She could feel his breath on her cheeks, and she could see the details of his scar. "I _love_ you," He smiled. "Because you're giving me my honor back."


	2. Chapter 2, Bound

Chapter 2. Bound

Katara's eyes jolted open. She had fallen asleap when Zuko had left the room. She looked around. The bright red insignias on the wall of the Fire Nation reminded her that she was under Zuko's custody. She tried sitting up, but noticed Zuko had tied her waste tightly around the bed. She could barely breathe! She scanned the room...There was nothing she could do to free herself. The only thing she could do now was hope that Aang came and rescued her...And that he didn't get tied up as well. Katara felt different. Something was different about the way she lay here. She then noticed...Her necklace was gone! It was no longer wrapped around her neck, safe and protected. Zuko must have stolen it.

She tried to yell, but she was then surprised to find out that she had been gagged, too. Her mind raced. Everything began to feel very hot, and she began to sweat. Why did he have to do this to her? She had done _nothing_ to him! She had called him a brat...but that wasn't so bad! She had told him she hated him...But why should _she_ be treated this way? She was literally bound to a Fire Nation bed! And there was nothing she could do but wriggle the tips of her fingers in small hope that she could slide her hands out of the rope. She couldn't. She had just learned a fact about Zuko: He was great at tying ropes. She sighed. The only thing she could do was wait. As time passed by, her eyelids began to drop...But they quickly opened when she heard the door open, Zuko approaching her with an evil grin on his face.

"You look relieved to see me," He laughed.

Katara scowled the best she could at the armored prince. All she wanted to do was drink a cold cup of water and then slap Zuko. But that wasn't about to happen. She had to think of a plan better then just waiting.

"Do you want to say something?" He walked over and pulled the gag out of her mouth. He placed the soft cloth on the lampstand, and gave her a warning look. "But before you start calling me names, remember what I told you: You can make it easier for yourself, or harder."

"I need water." She said in a bland voice, being sure not to make eye-contact with him. She swallowed. Her mouth felt very dry, and her voice had come out cracked and small.

"Fine." Zuko walked out of the room and returned with a glass of water. He held it out to her.

"Well thanks, Zuko. I'd love to drink it, but as you can see, _I'm tied up_." She almost laughed at the brainless mistake he had just made.

Zuko pulled out a sharp knife and cautiously cut the rope, allowing her to sit up, but her hands were still tied to her back. He held the cup out and tipped it toward her mouth, and it spilled down her chin and onto her neck. She then remembered that her necklace wasn't there.

"Where's my necklace?" She licked her lips, letting the water moisturize them.

Zuko looked at her neck, and then up to her eyes. "How am I supposed to know?"

"You probably stole it from me!" She glared at him. "You're so awful, Zuko, I can't explain it in words!"

Zuko stared at her for a moment, then looked away. He had an odd look in his eyes, and then said, "Do you want a tour of the ship?"

Katara was bewildered. Why would he want to give her a tour of the ship? As if he could read her mind, he quickly added, "You could find something to do. Like clean dishes."

"I'm not serving _you_," She ignored the disappointed look on his face. But then something struck her: This was Prince Zuko! He was still a guy, wasn't he? Although he was pretty evil, he still had feelings. She could mess with his feelings! They were both pretty close in age, (he looked about 16) and if this was the only way out of her imprisonment, then so be it. She put on her best smile. "You know what Zuko? I _would _like to go on a tour with you. But could you untie me first?"

Zuko nodded. He began cutting the ropes. She couldn't tell if he was surprised, because his expression was bland. He finished untying the ropes. She stretched her arms, then stood up with him. She looked to the left. The glass of water he had brought her was sitting on the stand. This was her chance. Katara quickly bent what was left in the cup into a small dagger which she shot at Zuko. He dodged it, then grabbed her wrists. He looked very, _very _angry. Panic shot through her as she struggled free. There hadn't been enough water for her to do enough bending.

"You thought you could fool me?" He tightened his grasp on her wrists, squeezing hard.

She winced, but did not stop giving him the look they _both_ knew he deserved. "I _know_ I could fool you!" She tried to pull her arms free from his grasp, but that only led him to squeeze even tighter. "Stop, you're hurting me!" She cried. She hated giving him the pleasure of her pleas, but she couldn't stand the pain any longer.

Suddenly, the door opened and a plump old man entered. He had a pointy beard that ran down from his chin and led up into sideburns. "Zuko, let go of that girl, _right now_!"


	3. Chapter 3, General Iroh

Chapter 3. General Iroh

Zuko let Katara's wrists go at the command of the old man. He looked away.

The old man put his fists together and did a respectful bow at Katara. "Hello, my name is General Iroh. But you can call me Iroh."

Katara smiled. "My name is Katara," She looked at the old man with respect. She was grateful for his help.

Iroh looked at Zuko. "Why would you try to hurt this poor girl?"

Zuko looked angry. "She was disrespecting me! I am a prince, and I don't deserve to be treated like that!" He glared at Katara.

Iroh shook his head. "You know far better then to just torture prisoners! Especially sweet, fragile ones," Iroh turned to Katara with a glisten in his eye. "My appoligies for my nephew's bad behavior."

His _nephew_? This was Zuko's uncle! She smiled. "I suppose I can forgive him on your account," She eyed Zuko from the corner of her eye. He was clenching his fists. She could almost see steam seeping out of his ears.

"Oh she is NOT sweet and fragile!" Zuko glared.

Iroh gave Zuko a wise look. "I'm sure she is when she wants to be. Now, Katara, would you like some tea? We could talk about why you are here."

Katara was about to say yes when Zuko grabbed her wrists again. "She's a _prisoner_! I'm using her as bait for the Avatar!"

Iroh looked surprised. "Oh, I see! You must be the Avatar's traveling companion. That must be a great honor!"

Katara nodded. "It is."

"Speaking of honor, I'd like mine back, so she is _staying_ in this room!" Zuko fumed.

Iroh nodded. "As you say, my nephew. But you leave her alone. Why torture her? She has done nothing to you." Iroh turned to leave, waiting as Zuko left as well. They shut the door, and Katara was releaved to be alone at last. Although she didn't like that she was still locked up. At least she wasn't tied up! Katara rubbed her sore wrists. They were still a bit red after Zuko had squeezed her. She let the memory of Zuko fade away as she remembered Aang. He and Sokka had to be looking for her by now. She searched the room. There was no window, so she couldn't tell what time of the day it was. If it was anytime around the evening, then Aang and Sokka definitely weren't on the right trail. Katara lay back down on the silk Fire Nation bed. She slid under the covers. She ignored the hunger that gnawed at her belly, and let herself drift into sleep, hoping that Aang and Sokka were on their way.

"May I come in?" Katara awoke to the sound of General Iroh's voice. She sat up, despite the fact that her hair was probably a mess. She noticed the room had grown alot darker. It was probably evening.

"Come in," She called.

Iroh entered with a steaming hot cup of tea and a tray full of food. She smiled. "Hungry?" He asked as he approached her with the tray.

She nodded. "Thank you!" She took the tray from his hands as he set the tea on the nightstand.

He notioned toward the end of her bed and asked, "May I?"

She nodded. "Do you know what time it is? There's no window in here."

Iroh smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed. "The sun just went down. I suppose you must be worried about your friends finding you," Iroh eyed her.

She nodded. "It usually wouldn't take this long," Katara bit into the crispy golden fish. The warm meat slid down her throat and into her belly, filling the empty void.

"I understand. May I ask why you were wandering about on your own? My nephew told me he cought you easily."

Katara smiled. "A girl needs her crisp morning walks. I just felt like taking one, I guess." She took a sip of the mint-leaf tea. "Oh, this is delicious!" She savored the flavor in her mout for a moment.

Iroh smiled. "It's one of my favorite flavors."

Katara finished the dish as she talked to General Iroh about different kinds of teas. After she was finished, Iroh picked up her dishes. She then remembered the question she had been waiting to ask: "Why is Zuko hunting the Avatar?"

Iroh froze, but gave her a thoughtful glance. "I don't think that is my story to share. You should try asking him that yourself." And with that, Iroh left the room, with a question unanswered. Katara would just have to wait, although that question always lingered in her mind whenever she fought him. She knew that it had something to do with his honor, but what_ about _his honor? Katara stopped asking herself these questions and concentrated on trying to get some more sleep. But she wasn't tired anymore, because she had been sleeping almost all day. She sat up and walked around the room. She lifted up one of the Fire Nation flags and noticed a few words written underneath the insignia. It read,

_"Fire Lord Ozai, son of Fire Lord Azulan"_

Katara nodded. This must be Zuko's father's name, since Zuko had said he was a prince. "Prince Zuko...Fire Lord Ozai," She murmured to herself. Katara busied herself looking underneath the other flags, although all she found was the same imprint as the first one. She then fingered the steal walls. Mabye there was a secret passage. But it all looked hopeless. She was about to reach down under the bed to see if she could find anything else interesting when suddenly the ship lurched sideways, tossing her and the nightstand to the left side of the wall. She scrame. A sharp pain surged through her as the nightstand hit her leg. "Help!" The ship made a big creaking sound, and the big bed began to move toward Katara. In panic, she moved to the other side of the room, blood dripping off her right leg. She closed her eyes. She felt sick, as more blood trickled off her leg and onto the steal floor. "Agh!" She tried to stand up, but her leg protested. Suddenly, the door to her room slammed open and Zuko came running in, panic and urgency written all over his face.

"The ship has been shot down! We have to get out of here, _right now_!" Zuko looked down to the ground, then ran toward Katara as he saw the rich puddle of blood at her feet.

He lifted her into his arms, then ran out the door. She grasped his neck, surprised by his strength. Zuko ran up a flight of stairs that led to the upper level of the ship. Katara saw another Fire Nation ship ahead of them. She closed her eyes as a fireball hit the side of Zuko's ship, sending them flying over the edge and into the icy sea water seeped over her head, a rush of fear settling in as the cold water stung her wounded leg. She tried to swim upward, but felt the waves pulling her under. She tried to open her eyes, but the dark blue water tempted them back shut. A strong arm pulled her up and over the rush of the water. She gasped for air. She saw blood surround the water she floated in, and she fainted, letting darkness take over her body.


	4. Chapter 4, Different

Katara opened her eyes. The smell of fish cooking filled her nostrils. She looked around. She was surrounded by green walls and wonderful furnishings. She sat up. She had been sleeping in a very comfortable bed. The house she was in looked like it had been made for a very rich commoner. Katara tried to get up out of her bed, but the shocking pain in her wounded leg sent her right back down onto the bed. She examined her leg. There was a soft white bandage wrapped around it, tightened nicely. She was relieved to find that it was wrapped. But who? She could barely remember what had happened that night. All she could remember was Zuko carrying her, and fire flying everywhere...And she remember water. Over her head...And the blood in the water. And then everything had gone black.

"You awake?" Zuko peaked his head out from another room. He had green Earth Kindgom clothes, and he had _cut off his ponytail._

Katara blinked. He looked so...Different! She nodded, and let him serve her some fresh tea, eggs, and some fish. "What happened?" She asked in a commanding tone.

Zuko shot her a confused look as he pulled up a chair next to her bed. "You mean when Commander Zhao attacked my ship because I crossed the Fire Nation border and my ship sunk to the bottom of the sea?"

Katara nodded. "I fainted. What happened after that?" She bit into the eggs, which Zuko had melted some specialy zesty cheese on top of them._ He's a pretty good cook_, Katara thought.

"I swam us to the shore, which was about 2 days away. We landed on Ba Sing Se's dock, so I...Well, I stole some clothes and put them on...I had to!" He folded his arms across his chest as Katara gave him a disapproving look.

"Let me guess, you stole this nice house, too?" Katara chimed in with an accusing tone.

Zuko shook his head. "Someone loned it to me for, uh," He swallowed. "Your necklace."

Katara gasped. "WHAT? YOU SOLD MY NECKLACE?" She tried to get up again but was then quickly reminded that her leg was still hurt. "How could you?" Anger surged through her and she threw the fish he had cooked her at his chest. It slid helplessly to the floor, and made a _splat_ sound as it did. It almost made her laugh, but her anger took it's place instead.

Zuko stood up. "I saved your life! You should be thanking me!" He exclaimed. He picked up the fish and tossed it back onto her plate. "Don't waste good food!"

Katara frowned. "You're a _prince_! Shouldn't you have _some_ sort of money? Why should you have to sell _my _necklace?"

Zuko shook his head. "Don't you know? I'm a _banished _prince. I've got nothing." He put his arms up in the air as a symbol. "Nothing."

Katara shook her head. How could he go and sell her necklace like that? He had _no _right to do that. "My mother gave me that necklace," She said, a crack in her voice sounded as she thought of her mother. The only thing she had to remember her mother by was sold to some Earth Kingdom commoner! "I want you to get it back!"

Zuko shook his head as he sat back down on the wooden chair. "I can't. The guy who I sold it to told me that if there was any way I was going to be able to rent this house was if I could pay him with something. I pulled out your necklace and he liked it, said it was an antique of some sort. He then said that the pirates would pay a great deal for that. So it's probably long gone by now."

Katara felt sick. There was no way she was getting her necklace back now. And Zuko was to blame. "You just had to go and do something stupid, didn't you?"

"You're welcome! I saved your life! I cooked you food! I even wrapped your leg up!"

Katara pretended to ignore him, although it was hard to miss his loud and obnoxious voice. He was right...She owed him her life. But she wouldn't even had _been _in this mess if it weren't for him in the first place!

Zuko left the room, and she heard him running the dishes. After 10 minutes, the water pump turned off, and he came into the room with wet hands, the water dripping onto the floor.

"I'm leaving." He said, rubbing a towel against his hands.

Katara's jaw dropped. Her mind raced with questions as new worries arised, panic striking her mind. "You're just going to leave me here? _Alone_? You could at least call a doctor or something! And what about this house? You're just going to leave me here to deal with this house? I'm _hurt_! I can barely move! And you're going to walk out on me like this? I should've seen this coming; I mean, you _are _prince Zuko!"

Zuko's mouth turned into a surprised smile. "Slow down," He laughed. "I'm only going to the _market_."

"Oh..." Katara blushed as she looked down at her empty plate. "Here," She handed him the plate, but she didn't let go of it when he grabbed it.

"Wha-" Zuko began to say.

Katara searched his eyes. "What now, Zuko? Are you just going to take care of me until I'm well enough to kick your butt again? Are you going to get a job here and find a new life? And what about your Uncle? Where did he go?" She let go of the plate.

Zuko sat down at the edge of her bed. Something was different about him. "I don't know, Katara. I'm just as confused as you are. Mabye even more."

Katara watched as he fingered the small crumbs on her plate. "What are you going to do?"

Zuko shook his head. He looked into her eyes. "I'm not sure _what _I'm going to do...But..." He paused for a moment, looking down at the plate. "I could help you find your friends."

"You would?" She asked with confusion.

Zuko stood up, frusteration eminating in his eyes. "Well? _Do_ you want me to help you find your friends?"

She nodded. "I guess that would be nice." She was extremely confused. Just a day ago, he had been treating her like garbage...And now, he was acting as if nothing had happened. As if he had never tied her to a tree in the first place, as if he had never gagged her mouth.

"Ok. As soon as your leg gets better, we'll look for them. And when we're done, I'll look for my uncle."

Katara nodded. It sounded like an ok plan. But what after that? Would he continue hunting Aang? She thought of how he had treated her on his ship, and his plans of capturing Aang. "What about your crew?"

Zuko winced. "I'm not sure they survived. Let alone my Uncle. We'll have to wait and see. All I know is I had to get to shore, as soon as possible. That's what I did. I'm hoping my Uncle's fate was just as bright as ours."

Katara nodded. How grim it would be to find out that his Uncle died in the bombing. She hoped, for Zuko's sake, that he was alive. Who else did he have? He had said he was banished. Katara was starting to put the bits and pieces of his story together...He was a prince. And he had been banished from his own nation. And he had been hunting Aang for some reason. He had alot going on. She still wasn't sure if she trusted him or not. But, she had to trust him, or she wouldn't make it through the next few days.

Zuko waved his hand slightly as he left the house, letting a refreshing breeze in, hitting Katara in the face. The cold wind reminded her of the times on Appa with Aang and Sokka. Sorrow took place as she thought of her brother and her friend. Would she ever see them again? And were they even looking for her? She hoped that soon, very soon, they would find her. Because she _didn't _want to have to travel with Zuko to find Aang and Sokka. Zuko could turn on her, and attack Aang. Zuko could be lying to her this whole time, still using her as bait. The minute her leg healed up, Katara knew what she would have to do. She would have to betray Zuko, no matter what happened. She couldn't be friends with the enemy, and she couldn't trust him. She _wouldn't _put Aang's life in danger. Not now. Not ever. It all hung on how long it took her leg to heal-if it ever did. She hadn't seen how bad the gnash had been, but she remembered blood...Lot's of blood. If that didn't say enough, she wasn't sure what else did.


	5. Chapter 5, Exercises and Wheelchairs

Chapter 5. Exercises and Wheelchairs

As Katara waited for Zuko to return, she looked around the room for something she could possibly do, _if_ she could reach it. She examined a bookshelf nearby. It was full of different sized books, but it was too far for her to reach. _Mabye_ _I could reach it if I could walk...Just a bit. _Katara sat up straighter, and scooted herself across the bed. When her feet hit the floor as she reached the end of the bed, she heaved herself up out of the bed, balancing on one foot, trying her best to ignore the small pinches of pain that ran up through her leg. She wobbled her way toward the bookshelf. When she reached it, she leaned on it, letting herself relax for a moment. She then began examining the books with a satisfied huff.

There was a variety of books, ranging from cookbooks to maps of Ba Sing Se. "Not very many good books," She mumbled to herself. _Go figure, Katara. This is a rental house. _She fingered a very bright green one, and pulled it out. The cover read, _'Herbs and Concoctions for the House-Bound Soul'. _She opened it up, blowing off the dust. She had always had a curiosity about medicines and herbs. Mabye she could gain some understanding of them while her leg healed. She took the book and tucked it under her arm. Just as she was going to take a step toward the bed, Zuko came into the house with 2 baskets full of different food.

He looked over at Katara, and dropped the baskets. "What are you doing?" He ran over to her and held her up. "You're going to get yourself hurt!" Worry plagued his face as he helped her over to the bed.

"I was getting a book," She explained. "I was doing fine." She sat down as Zuko helped fix herself onto the bed. She cozied up to the pillow as Zuko propped it up behind her, his hand brushing against her shoulder.

"Don't do that again. Your leg will never heal if you use it like that." He looked her in the eye, and she almost melted under his commanding stare. It almost reminded of her when he had her on his ship, but his expression had been more angry then concerned.

"I won't. But I wasn't leaning on it. I put all my weight on the other leg," She looked nervously down at the book she was holding. So much for that. She put the book aside as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Do you need anything?" He called. She couldn't see what he was doing, but it sounded like he was sorting through the groceries.

"Some tea sounds nice," She pulled her hair out of her braid and ran her fingers through her chocolate brown hair. Her fingers stopped at a few tangles, sending a nip of pain on her scalp. "A brush would be nice, too."

Zuko entered with some hot tea, set it on the table next to her, then walked into the washroom that was across the hall, returning with a very nicely designed hairbrush. "Will this do?"

She nodded eagerly as she took it from his hands. She put the brush to her hair, and began brushing out all the tangles and knots. She was frustrated to find it a lot harder then she had expected. It had been a while since she'd done this. She suddenly felt pain in her leg, noticing she had lifted the wounded leg to support herself. She winced, then set the brush down on the nightstand, with an annoyed glance at her leg.

Zuko picked up the brush and settled himself on the bed beside her. "May I?" He notioned toward her hair.

She hesitated, but turned her head to the side as he began to gently run the brush down her hair. She noticed that every time he came to a knot, he would put a steady hand on the top of her head, then bring the brush down, slowly, over the knot. After about 10 minutes of nonstop brushing, she began to think that he was brushing her hair for pleasure.

"Uh, Zuko? That's good enough," She broke the silence that hung between them. "Thank you." She was disappointed when he stopped, because it _had_ felt good, the way his hands brushed against her hair in a gentle, almost lulling motion.

Zuko nodded and got up from the bed. He shot her a small smile as he put the brush back onto the nightstand. "Your tea is cold. I'll heat it up," He picked up the tea she had forgotten, and walked away into the kitchen. She closed her eyes. That _had _felt good. Too good. For Zuko, at least. As Zuko approached with the tea in his hands, she smiled momentarily, taking the cup from his hands.

"Thanks," She sipped the honey tea with much gratitude, the sweet flavor bursting in her mouth.

Zuko watched her drink, then said, "When I went to the market today, I stopped by the medicine store, and asked if they had any good leg exercises. They showed me a few that you could try, if it's not too painful." He eyed her with a promising look. "I'll hold you up."

"Will it help me heal sooner?" She asked, setting the tea on the nightstand.

"It should, yeah."

She nodded. "Let's try some now." She scooted up across the bed, as Zuko rushed to her side. He grabbed hold of her arm; in a gentle way. He helped her off the bed and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his chest, letting him take half her weight. She could hear his heart pounding in his chest, and she wondered if he was nervous.

"Okay, the first exercise is practicing to _lean_ on your leg," He kept holding onto her as she shifted her weight from her good leg to the bad leg. Pain shot through, and she squeezed his arm as she closed her eyes. "It hurts!" She collapsed onto him, as he led her up. Tears formed in her eyes, but none escaped as the pain quickly faded away as she stopped leaning on it.

"How bad?" Concern held at his voice. "And where?" He gently sat her back down on the bed, as he lifted her dress up so he could examine the bandage.

"In the middle," She reached down and pointed at a spot on her bandage.

Zuko gently unwrapped it, carefully setting each layer of cloth on the ground. When he finished unwrapping it, his face went pale as he stared at the crusty red wound. "Oh Katara."

She peered down at the wound. The red gnash in her leg looked awful. Bubbles of blood surrounded it, and a brown crust was forming around the gnash. The wound had just hit her knee, barely hitting the bone. She winced as he rubbed his thumb around the edge of the wound. He looked up at her cautiously.

"I'm going to get some alcohol." He ran into the kitchen, she heard rustling, then he returned with a rag that had been dipped inside of some alcohol. "This will hurt," He warned her as he bent down near her knee. He gently applied the alcohol. It stung on her knee, but she kept her expression at bay, because she knew he was doing his best to try not to hurt her. He dabbed some more on, making sure he didn't put too much on at once. When he finished, he wrapped the bandage back around and around until it was tight enough to stay on her leg.

"Thanks," She nodded as he helped her back against the bed. She laid down, and tried to close her eyes, but her leg still stung from the alcohol, making it hard to concentrate on sleeping. Rather, she concentrated on watching Zuko. He had settled himself comfortably on a chair next to the bookshelf, and he was flipping through the pages of a book. His scarred eye popped up as he turned to another page. Katara couldn't see the cover of the book, but whatever it was, he looked interested. He flipped through more pages, his eyes glued to each page. He then turned a couple pages back, marked the page by turning the top corner down, and shut the book, a satisfied look on his face. He looked over at Katara, and she quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Zuko left the room, and the house, quietly shutting the door. Her eyes flew open, and questions clouded her mind. What book had he been reading? _Why did he leave? _She was tempted to get up and look at the book he had been reading, but chose against it, because she knew he had the right to privacy, and she certainly wouldn't want _him_ spying on what she read. Katara sat herself up, and reached across the table at the herb book. She opened it up, and flipped the the pages curiously. There was definitions of different kinds of herbs, and small sketches of them. Some of them she recognized, and others she had never seen before. As she studied, she traced her fingers along a beautiful flower called the Jasmine. It had white petals and a beautiful body, curvy and free. She read the description: _Great for teas, used commonly with mint (see pg. 32) Jasmine is grown in a set, usually found near bushes and under the shade of Oak trees. The flavor is mild and sweet, and is the most common used tea._

Katara remembered the tea Iroh had given her. It had been amazing, full of flavor and just as the herb book described it. "Yum," She said to herself. Mabye she could look into making teas. They were delicious, and they didn't seem that hard. Katara read on about the Jasmine. _Preparations: Take Jasmine by stem, pluck petals and leaves off of flower. Dispose of remains. Blend petals and leaves in mortar with a pestle, crushing until small. Heat water to a boil, then add crushed leaves and petals. Let sit for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spices, such as mint, sugar, cinnamon, ect. Enjoy._

Katara closed the book and set it back down on the nightstand, letting her imagination sore with different ideas for tea. The pain in her leg finally let ease, and she closed her eyes, the visions of Jasmine flowers floating through her dreams.

Katara woke to the sound of pounding in the other room. She stretched and yawned, ignoring the questions that girdled her mind. The room was now very dim-lit, letting her know that it was evening now. Zuko had lit the room with small candles and the large lantern that hung from the ceiling was now lit. She could smell a sharp scent, like wood, or a forest. She sat up, letting her curiosity finally get the best of her as the pounding stopped. "Zuko?" She called. There was no response, except the shuffling of feet and something else across the floor. She then saw Zuko dragging something wooden across the floor toward her. It had wheels and was shaped as a wooden chair. Her heart stopped...He had made her a wheelchair! A smile crossed her face as he stopped in front of her. He looked exhausted. His face was red from all the work, and there was sweat dripping off his chest. His shirt was off, but the look on his face showed the satisfaction of his work.

"It's for you," He notioned toward the chair, his hands still gripping the back of it.

"Oh Zuko, it's wonderful!" She was almost speechless. That was all she could think to say. She leaned forward to touch the wood, letting the feeling of the smooth wood slide across her hand. "I love it," She looked up at him.

He looked eagerly into her eyes, and for a moment, she was lost in the dark, golden shade of his eyes. They glistened, almost illuminating the rest of his face. "You can try it tomorrow, I can take you around Ba Sing Se." He offered.

Excitement surged through her. She had never been in Ba Sing Se before! She had heard stories, but had never actually seen the city herself. "Wow. That sounds amazing," She smiled at him. "Thank you, Zuko."

He nodded, pulled out a map of Ba Sing Se, and knelt down next to her bed with a grin on his face. "So, where do you want to go tomorrow?"


	6. Chapter 6, Ba Sing Se

Chapter 6. Ba Sing Se

Zuko had been acting so kind lately, Katara found herself thanking him...Multiple times. Most of the time, she knew he was being kind because of her leg, but other times, she wondered if he had changed. Something had obviously happened to him that gave him this happy, helpful attitude. If she was correct, he used to be a character of pure evil, always hunting the Avatar to gain his honor. But now, now he was different. It wasn't just the fact that he had cut off his ponytail (although that had something to do with it) but it was the fact that he treated Katara with such care. He made her feel like she was extremely important to him...And she wouldn't be surprised is she was.

"You ready to go?" Zuko interrupted Katara's thoughts. He strolled in with a small green bag wrapped around his shoulder. It made a small clinging sound as he walked.

Katara's heart jumped, as excitement filled her thoughts. She was going to see the city of Ba Sing Se! Not only that, but Zuko promised to let her do some shopping...For clothes. She was excited, and grateful that Zuko had made her a wonderful wheelchair, but one question lingered in her mind, and it wouldn't leave: Where did Zuko get the money to _take _her shopping? He obviously had some, if he promised to _buy _her some clothes. But she was afraid to ask him...She didn't want to do _anything _that might hurt his feelings. She shocked herself. Before, she wouldn't have given a second thought if she was hurting his feelings. But now, after the way he had been treating her, she felt as if she owed him the world. And somehow, she did.

"Yeah, I'm ready," She smiled at him, but only for a short moment. She didn't want to give him any ideas. He was still Zuko, nice or not.

He helped her out of her bed, being sure he balanced her steadily in his arms. He placed her gently on the wooden chair, and stepped back as he looked at her. A satisfied look took over his face. "Perfect," He grinned.

She nodded gratefully. "This is really nice," She fingered the wheelchair as Zuko walked into the other room to get something. As her fingers traced one of the arm-rests on the chair, she felt some small, thin indentations in the wood. She looked down, and saw her name carved in small letters. _He has beautiful handwriting_, Katara thought. She quickly looked up from the name and stopped tracing it with her fingers as Zuko re-entered with a greenish-yellow hat on his head, and a pale yellow map in his hands. He looked ready to take on Ba Sing Se.

"So nobody recognizes me too easy," He stated, motioning toward the hat.

_What would happen if someone did? _She asked quietly. Was Zuko really that noticeable? He did have a bad scar on his eye. But how many people could know about him? He was only a teenager...But he was a prince. Or he had been.

Zuko strolled over to her and took grasp of the wheelchair. He handed her the map of Ba Sing Se, then began to push her toward the door. The chair worked great. He had obviously put some steady work into the chair. As he opened the door to Ba Sing Se, Katara's eyes grew wide at what lay before her. There were people walking everywhere, some shopping, some tending to their whining children. Some were picking up something they had dropped, and some where bartering with others. Ba Sing Se was a busy town. As Zuko pushed her forward, she expected looks and glares from the people. But nobody bashed an eyelid at her. This was a place where a loner could come seeking refuge and quiet. And Katara respected that, as Zuko pushed her past some very strange looking people. One man had an eye-patch on, and he walked on a strange, crooked stick. Another man had a black cloak on, and he just sat against a building, basking in the hot sun.

Katara stopped watching the strangers and took in all the buildings. There were some large ones, some small ones. There were tents, and there were venders full of food. Camel-goats pushed their way through the crowds carrying loads of groceries and other sacs for their owners.

There were numerous different roads, and there was a sign above a small building that read _Welcome to Ba Sing Se's market district. Enjoy your shopping. _Katara then felt the urge to shop, just as Zuko had promised her. "Can we shop for my new clothes? I feel like an outsider with this blue dress on. Everybody else is wearing earth-tone colors," She couldn't help but blurt that out to Zuko. He already had a nice earth kingdom outfit on. He looked just like a normal commoner.

"Sure," Zuko replied, his tone mild. He walked her toward a vender that had some very appealing clothes hanging from it's rack. There was a kind lady who stood behind the rack.

"Hello there! You two here for a good new outfit? I've got a good selection. From yellows to browns, and greens, too." The lady smiled a smile that every shop-owner used to entice their customers.

Zuko notioned toward Katara. "She's the shopper today. I'm fine," He stated quickly, as he shuffled his feet. Katara could tell right away that he didn't like shopping. But she couldn't remember Aang or Sokka ever enjoying shopping either. She was the one who usually did the shopping.

Katara smiled at the shop-owner, who looked her up and down.

"Ah, you're a pretty thing, aren't you? And I see you've hurt yourself?" The lady looked down at Katara's leg, with a questioning look.

Zuko quickly changed the subject before she could ask any more questions. "We're just here to find some clothes...Something not too warm. It's getting pretty hot."

Katara looked up at the sky. It was as blue as she'd ever seen it, and the sun was blazing back at her. No wonder so many people had gathered in Ba Sing Se. It was the perfect day to be shopping.

The lady eyed Katara. "What's your style, honey?"

Katara shrugged. "Anything simple, but not too loose...I don't like clothes that are to loose," She stated. She had always hated it when her clothes didn't fit her. It bothered her extremely.

"Hm, I think I've got just the thing for you." The lady pulled out a green 2-piece skirt and top, which was trimmed with yellow. It looked nice. "You look like you'd fit well in this?"

Katara nodded. "I could try it," She began to hoist herself up from the chair, and Zuko immediately grabbed her shoulders, holding her up.

The lady handed Katara the outfit, and notioned toward a small yellow tent that stood alone next to her booth. "That's where you can try it on," She smiled at Zuko's caring gestures.

Katara nodded, then glanced at Zuko. "I can do it, I'm fine," She reassured him. The look of panic shot over his face, but he nodded, and let her go. As she entered the tent, she could hear the lady's voice.

"You've got yourself a beautiful young lady. Where did you meet her?" Katara strained to listen to what he would say.

"She's not exactly mine," Zuko's hoarse voice retorted. He sounded like he didn't want to talk, especially about relationships. But the shopkeeper obviously wasn't put down by the uncomfortable tone in Zuko's voice.

"Oh? Well, if I were you, I'd try my best to keep her...She's a rare gem."

Zuko didn't reply, and Katara began to wonder what he was thinking as she slipped into the skirt and shirt. She found it wasn't as hard as she had thought to get into the skirt. She fixed her hair, then stepped out of the tent, the sun hitting her face. When Zuko turned to look at her, his face turned red as he stared at her.

"Oh, I love it, I just love it!" The shop-owner exclaimed. She examined Katara with a bright smile on her face. "Aren't you just...Darling!" Katara noticed the lady's eyes glanced at Zuko in a mischievous look.

Katara blushed, giving a dainty expression. The only thing she could think to do was smile. "Thanks," She replied to the shopkeeper's kind words.

Zuko looked down at his bag of money, pulled out some gold coins, and handed them to the lady, who gratefully took them from him. "Let's go, Katara," He said in a low voice.

Katara gratefully smiled at the lady as Zuko pushed her into the dusty, dry Ba Sing Se. The town looked so busy, yet so peaceful. Katara examined 3 children playing with sticks and a small ball. They were hitting the ball around, and making gleeful noises whenever the ball would slide between their feet. She smiled. She couldn't help but hope that the small children would never have to know about the war that penetrated the outside of Ba Sing Se's mighty walls.

"Want to stop and get a drink?" Zuko's voice hovered over her head as they passed several venders. A nice drink did sound nice.

"Sure," Katara smiled. "It's a hot day."

Zuko veered toward a small building that read 'Drinks, Blends, and More'. He pushed her into the shop, and a cool fan hit her face. One of the employees smiled as they entered.

"Welcome!" A man with a beard smiled. "Here for a drink?" He motioned for Zuko and Katara toward a nice table. There was small fans that easily cooled the little restaurant off that were hung from the ceiling.

Zuko sat down in the booth as he centered Katara's chair at the table. The cold air hit Katara in the face, and she closed her eyes. But she quickly opened them when she noticed Zuko slipping out of the booth.

"Washroom," He stated. She nodded quickly with a look of understanding as he headed for a small archway that lead to the men's washroom, and he disappeared inside.

Katara looked around. The shop was filled with people. Some were sitting in groups, others alone. She noticed a nice boy sitting alone in a booth. He had short black hair, and he reminded Katara of Aang. A small sadness lurched through her, but she caught herself smiling at the boy anyways. And to her surprise, he smiled back. She waved. What a sweet boy! She then noticed he began to stand up, and he made his way to her table. She then noticed he was wearing a white apron. He must work here! Katara looked up and nodded as the boy approached her.

"Hello there, miss," He smiled respectfully toward her. He did a small bow, then looked up at her.

She smiled. "Hello, sir," She laughed. "Would you like a seat?" She motioned at the empty booth where Zuko was supposed to sit. _He won't mind,_ she thought.

The boy eagerly sat down next to her. "My name is Lee," He looked eagerly into her eyes.

"I'm Katara, nice to meet you, Lee," Katara held her hand out for the boy to shake. He did, and he held on for a moment. How odd that he looked so much like Aang. He even gray eyes, like Aang did. But his voice wasn't the same, high-pitched voice that Aang had. It was softer. But he looked Aang's age, about 12. Or maybe a little younger.

"Is there anything I can get you? Like a drink? I work here, you know," He stated proudly.

"Ah, I think I'd like a cold smoothie...A fruit smoothie, if that's what you serve here," She smiled gently as the boy grinned.

"What's your favorite fruits, miss?" He got up out of the booth and pulled a small book out of his apron.

"I'm not sure...Could you give me a list of fruits that you serve?" Katara's eye glistened at the eager, excited look on Lee's face.

Lee flipped through his little book, then fingered a certain page. "Here it is!" He looked up at Katara for a moment, then looked back down at his book. "We serve strawberries, blueberries, oranges, papayas, watermelon, lemons, apples, kiwis, bananas..." He paused, taking a breath. A flash of amusement crossed Katara's face as a smile crept apon his. "Limes, pears, coconuts-that's my favorite-, pineapple, tangerine, starfruit, mango, and raspberry." He looked up at Katara with a pleased look on his face.

Katara put her hand on her chin and gave a bewildered look. "I can't choose!" She finally said. "What do you recommend?"

Lee jumped at the opportunity to recommend her a drink. "Coconut and banana mix is the _best _flavor that you'll find on our menu," He smiled at her, a wild, delicious look in his eyes. "

"I'll go with that, then." Katara saw Zuko appear from the other side of the restaurant, and he had a look of disapproval as he layed eyes on Lee. "Make 2 of those. One for me and my friend," She nodded toward Lee, who was writing down something in his book.

"Ok, 2 smoothies, coming up!" He ran toward the kitchen and into the door, with a giddy bounce in his steps.

Zuko approached, gave her a disturbed look, then sat down. "Who was that?"

She frowned. "Our waiter, nobody special," Katara could almost see a hint of jealousy in Zuko's eyes. "I ordered us coconut and banana smoothies," She quickly stated.

Zuko's face turned sour. "I hate bananas." He looked into her eyes with disgust.

"Why? They're so good!" She replied with almost a laugh. "How could someone hate bananas?"

"I hated them when I first saw them when I was younger...I never tried one, because I was served a bruised banana in my fruit salad. The servant who served it to me was banished from the palace. So I never ate one. And I don't intend to," He eyed her.

Katara stared at him in disbelief. "So you've never actually _tried _one? How can you make a judgment like that when you've only _seen_ one?"

"It was black! What'd you expect me to do?" Zuko looked as if he instantly regretted asking that question.

"Eat a fresh one, that's what you should do. Give this smoothie a try!" She urged him. "Lee said it tastes great!"

Zuko's face turned into anger as he turned his gaze at the kitchen. "_Lee_? He better not be-"

Katara quickly interrupted him. "Lee is fine. He was just asking my order...And what do you care, anyways?"

Zuko shook his head. "You'd better be careful, Katara...Guys are eying you."

Katara hadn't noticed, but guys _were_ eying her. A lot. She nervously adjusted herself in her seat and looked down at her hands.

Zuko glared at the group of teenagers sitting in a nearby booth. They all looked away. "Don't make eye contact with them...Don't pay them any attention, and don't-"

"You don't need to boss me around! I'm perfectly capable of dealing with guys!" She was infuriated that Zuko would treat her that way. "If I want to look at a guy in a certain way, then I can!" She purposefully turned around and flashed a girly smile at one of the teenagers who sat a short distance away. The guy smiled back, and then shot a look of defeat at Zuko.

Before Zuko could say something, Lee emerged out of the kitchen with their smoothies. He had a huge smile on his face. "Here's your drinks!" His smiled disappeared when he saw Zuko's scowl, but he quickly ignored Zuko's coldness.

Katara took her smoothie and gratefully smiled at Lee. "Thanks, Lee!" She motioned for him to sit. "Want to sit with us? You can have Zuko's drink...He doesn't like bananas," She glanced at Zuko, who looked like he was about to explode.

Lee looked at Zuko from the side of his eye and caught on to Zuko's distressed attitude. "Uh, I need to go work in the kitchen. I don't want to interrupt you and your boyfriend's time." He smiled at Katara, setting Zuko's drink onto the table.

Zuko's face had reddened considerably, but he said nothing as Lee walked away.

Katara ignored his hostile glare as she sipped the smoothie. It tasted amazing! She licked her lips, and waited for Zuko to sip his, but he sat, glaring at the group of guys who were still eying Katara. "It's really good, Zuko," She stated. "Take one sip, and I won't bother you about it anymore."

Zuko glanced down at the yellow drink that sat before him. He picked up the glass and smelled it. His expression changed from angry to annoyed. "It smells weird."

"It does not," Katara said as she licked the sweet juice off her lips. "You're just picky." She took another delightful sip of the thick smoothie, savoring the taste of the bananas and coconuts.

Zuko brought the glass to his lips, took a sip, then set the glass down. He looked shocked. "It's ok," He looked at Katara as he took another sip. She took another sip, and almost choked on her drink as she noticed the yellow mustache that had formed on his upper lip. She exploded into laughter after she finished swallowing.

"What?" Zuko's cheeks turned a bright shade of red that urged her to keep laughing more.

"You've grown a wonderful...Mustache!" She pointed at him. The laugh that blurted out as she watched him quickly wipe it away filled her with joy as she sipped her drink in a silent giggle. "It looked good," She joked.

Zuko almost smiled, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the group of teenagers laughing at him. He stood up, picked up his smoothie, and threw the thick liquid at the guy who had been smiling at Katara the most. The smoothie landed perfectly-aimed on his head, the yellow goo dripping down onto his green shirt.

The guy stood up, wiped the smoothie from his face, and glared at Zuko. "YOU PEST!" He pointed his finger at Zuko. Katara began to stand up, but quickly remembered her injured leg.

"You JERK!" Zuko pointed his finger at the guy. "You big fat JERK!" His anger spilled over as he grabbed Katara's smoothie (just as she was about to sip it) and hauled it at the teenager again, this time aiming at the guy's legs.

Katara's jaw dropped. "Zuko!" She called.

Zuko's head swerved around as his angry gaze settled on Katara's amused look. She tried to hide her amusement and push it over with anger. "What are you doing?" She folded her arms across her chest in a contempt to look in-charge.

Suddenly, a man from the kitchen emerged, his face red with fury. "What's going on here?" He stalked over to where Zuko and the teenager stood. "Who started this mess?" The man shouted as the restaurant fell silent. "Well?"

The teenager shot a glance at the man, then pointed his dripping finger at Zuko. "_He did_," He gave an evil glare of pure hatred.

The man stared at Zuko. "Get out of my restaurant, NOW!" Zuko didn't hesitate, but he quickly grabbed Katara's chair and rolled her out of of the air-conditioned building. The sun beat down on her face as Zuko quickly wheeled her away from the restaurant.

"Well, that was wonderful! Way to draw attention to ourselves!" Katara's voice came out angrier then she had meant to. But Zuko deserved it, after he had ruined her precious smoothie, and caused a wonderful moment to turn into a smoothie fight.

"Doesn't matter. You were drawing enough attention on your own," Zuko replied. He stopped walking and settled next to a fountain that had spouts of water coming out of a large, stone bird's beak. Zuko sat on the edge of the fountain with a frustrated look before saying, "Where do you want to go now?" He looked exhausted, as the sun's rays beat down on his red face. She could see sweat dripping off his brow, and his hands were clenched into fists.

A cool, faint breeze drifted past Katara's face, helping her to calm herself down. "We need to go back," She finally stated. "We need to talk."

He nodded with an understanding look, and pushed her through the still growing crowds of Ba Sing Se.


	7. Chapter 7, Pots & Pans, Plots & Plans

Chapter 7. Pots & Pans, Plots & Plans

Katara had found Zuko's mood swings to become too annoying for her to bare. Either he was happy or he was angry, or he was quiet or loud. Whatever it was, he always had some sort of mood. The only mood she really cared for was his caring, happy mood. But there hadn't been any of those for a long time. Zuko's hair had been growing back a lot, and Katara began to think he looked different, but in a good way. But just because his long black hair slid down his face in a way that would make any girl fall over him, didn't mean his bad moods were excused. Not in the least.

Katara only felt the worst had just begun when Zuko walked in, pounded his fist on the kitchen table, then went into the washroom. Not to mention, he had slammed the door when he did so. He looked hot and sweaty, as if he had done something very hard out in the midday sun of Ba Sing Se.

Katara couldn't think of anything to do that day except wish Zuko would let her out of bed. He had left early in the morning, (she didn't know how early, she had simply woken up and he was gone) and Katara couldn't stop thinking about cleaning the house. Zuko may be a good cook, but he certainly was no housekeeper. There was stuff all over the table, old boxes and bags, uncleaned dishes, his laundry. She had a large urge to simply get up and clean. And she almost did, but the way Zuko had been acting, she had better stay in bed, or he would've found out she had cleaned up. _He probably can't keep a house clean because he's been a prince all his life! _Katara thought as she fumbled with the herb book that was in her hands. She had been studying it a lot, and had memorize many of the concoctions inside. But Katara was upset that Zuko had seemed to be ignoring her lately. He didn't ever inquire about her leg, only fed her at the same times every day, and helped her to the washroom with an upset grunt whenever she asked. Other then that, her life was dull. But her leg was continuing to get better. Zuko had brought a doctor a couple of times, and the doctor simply said she was doing great, and that all she needed to do was keep resting for another month or two. But that was about a month ago, and Katara was already feeling good enough to start walking again.

Zuko was in the washroom still, mumbling things in his raspy, under-toned voice as Katara flipped through the pages of her book.

But Katara had had just about enough. She lifted her legs, being sure to be gentle on her injured leg, and tossed them over to the side quietly. She steadied herself on the nightstand next to the bed, then stood up. As she took a deep breath and took a step forward, she felt a small, but ignorable pain shoot through her leg. It had been healing, a lot! But she still didn't need to worsen it by leaning on it all the time, just at the brink of it's healing. So she decided to lean more on her other leg. As she began to walk across the room, she felt light and free! It had been so long since she was actually able to stand and walk on her own. Just as she was about to bend down to pick up one of Zuko's pants, she heard the washroom door open. She hurried back to the bed and slipped under the covers before Zuko could walk into the room.

"I'm going out," He said as he glanced her way. Katara nodded and almost laughed as she realized she was still holding Zuko's pants. She quickly slid them under the blanket and smiled.

"Have fun," she replied. "I'll just be here. In this bed. Like I always am," She stretched her arms across and then laid her head on the cream colored pillow. _What is he always doing out there? Does he possibly have a job? But why wouldn't he tell me? _

Zuko left the house without another word, and then Katara sat up. She slid out of bed, then made her way toward the kitchen. _This is the worst part! _She scanned the kitchen with a look of disbelief at the mess that lay before her. There were dishes scattered everywhere, and the washcloths that were _supposed_ to be used to wash the dishes were tossed aside-on the floor.

As Katara got closer into the kitchen, she saw how all Zuko's amazing cooking had taken place. There were spots of sauce all over the once green wallpaper, and the countertops were filled to the brim with nothing but garbage and old packages of unused food. Katara leaned against the wall as she tried to think of how she would tackle it. From where she used to lay in bed, it looked nothing close as horrible as it did now.

"So where's all the cleaning stuff?" She asked herself as she moved toward a tall brown cabinet. She opened it up only to be hit in the nose by a very heavy, wooden mop. "Ow!" She squealed as it went crashing to the floor. She held on to her nose for a few seconds, rubbing it as the pain surged through her face and into the form of small tears. She then carefully, so as not to hurt her leg any further, bent down to pick up the broom. The broom looked like a very rugged, tough wooden broom, but the appearance was very deceiving- it was very smooth, and you couldn't get a splinter off of it even if you tried. _But you certainly can get a bruise! _She thought to herself as she set the broom aside and looked around for a bucket. As she began cleaning, she felt better, and the house only looked greater. She cleaned all the dishes (which included pots, pans, forks, spoons, plates, ect.) she swept, mopped, and even (very carefully to mind her leg) got down on her knees and polished the wooden floor. She threw out all the trash, made all the beds, and then finally headed for the final room she had to clean: the washroom.

She had recently seen the washroom, and it hadn't looked so bad. She supposed it was because Zuko knew it was the only room she would occupy (he must have thought she wouldn't care about the other rooms). As she entered, the bright yellow walls of the washroom enveloped her as she looked around. The toilet looked alright, although Katara knew from experience that any toilet needed to be deep cleaned at least every 3 days. The washbowl was full of soaped up water and there were 2 washrags resting half in, half out of the bowl.

Katara moved toward the tub, in hope that it wasn't so dirty, because a bath sounded wonderful to her. But she didn't want to risk being in the bath when Zuko got home. _I'm lucky enough I got to clean! _ The bath looked acceptable, so she began to work on the toilet, scrubbing from the inside out. As she leaned toward the back of the toilet, she saw something white crumpled up behind it. She reached for it, grabbed it, placed it on the countertop, then finished the toilet. As stood up to stretch and look at herself in the long mirror above the washbowl. Her hair was hanging down in strands (she had put it up into a bun earlier) and she had a dull purple spot on the middle of her nose. She laughed, and her gaze fell on the piece of paper she had tossed aside earlier.

The paper didn't look very old as she unwrapped it. What she found was some black ink, handwritten by someone. But the words seemed to be in a different language! But as she studied it longer, she realized it was upside down, and she flipped it around to read what it said,

**Firelord Ozai, king of the Firenation **

**The command of Firelord Ozai hereby states that you, the banished Prince Zuko have only until sunset tomorrow to make your decision. You have 2 choices. **

**Regain your honor, your thrown, by giving Firelord Ozai your prisoner, or be forever banished from the Firenation with no chance of coming back.**

_**Your choice, my son. I will welcome you with open arms.**_

Katara gaped at what she read. Ozai, the Firelord of the Firenation must have written it! But why? _The parchment must have something to do with Zuko. Perhaps that's why he's been so upset! _Katara read the letter again, trying to see if she had missed anything. Who was Zuko's prisoner? Katara thought for a moment, and it hit her harder then the mop that had hit her earlier. _I am! He must still be using me as bait! _

Katara stared at the letter again. Another thing hit her. _All that time...All the time Zuko hunted Aang...He was trying to regain some sort of honor! Firelord Ozai is obviously his father. So he was banished, and he's been trying to regain his honor! _As Katara smiled at herself for figuring this out, a frown replaced it as she thought of what this letter actually meant. If Zuko was anything like he used to be, he would not turn down this offer, not if it meant getting whatever life he used to have back...His honor. So that would put the pieces together of why Zuko was leaving so much! He had to be working something out with the Firenation, even if they were in Ba Sing Se. Obviously Firelord Ozai wanted Aang's life, too, because why else would Ozai want Katara? For bait! And Ozai could do well enough to get word around that he had Aang's friend, Katara. He was the king of the Firenation! Aang would be outraged and he would fall into the Firelord's hands!

"That's it," Katara stood up, completely ignoring the pain in her leg. "I've got to get out of here." She put the paper in her pocket, and walked out of the washroom and toward the nightstand she used to sleep next to. She grabbed a bag of clothes that Zuko had bought for her, and then began to tie on her sandals. As she thought over and over again about the letter, her heart raced quickly. She had to leave before Zuko got back. She had to. But not only did she have to leave before Zuko could get on with his plot, she had to come up with her own. Aang had no idea where she was, and she had no idea where he was. They obviously hadn't hit Ba Sing Se yet, because Aang would have certainly found her. Unless Zuko had done a good job of hiding where they lived.

Katara swallowed at the thought of Aang and Sokka being so close but not finding her. That haunted her even more then the fact that they were probably so far away. But she would find them. Some way or the other. Or, if all else failed, she could start a new life. Possibly start a herbal business for healing remedies. But she would have to force herself to forget everything that happened. Forget Aang. Forget Sokka? She wasn't sure if she could. But most importantly, she would forget Zuko.


End file.
